Being a South Florida resident is something I take great pride in. Here are a few reasons why I am grateful to call Florida home.

One, I love me a good Hawaiian shirt. You could say I have a few in my closet, but that would be about 30 shy of the truth.

Two, I am a huge Dolphins fan, and not just because they are a customer. Working with them as been a huge honor that I cherish greatly, but long before that, even when I lived north, they were “my team” and could have been a deciding factor in moving to Florida.

Three, I love the weather. Yep, I said it… even today, as a category 4 hurricane is heading directly toward the state. In my opinion, the occasional hurricane is a fair trade for the gorgeous weather we get the rest of the year, every year. As northerners are shoveling snow and getting stuck in airports, we are enjoying backyard barbeques and putting our feet in the sand.

As devastating as hurricanes can be, they also bring many opportunities for communities to bond and rally together to show love and support for our neighbors. Not every state can relate to the unspoken understanding that is shared between strangers during those three days of preparation and the clean-up period afterwards. Humanity is tested and displayed everywhere you look. Kindness and generosity, care and love overwhelm the community and I am proud to be a part of it.

I am also proud to work for a company that offers peace of mind to local businesses who worry about losing network availability and access to valuable data during inclement weather. It is my business to keep businesses up and running, minimizing loss and expense when it comes to IT – which in this day and age acts as the backbone to most businesses.

In preparation for Hurricane Matthew, beyond boarding up the windows and stocking up on supplies, I stop today and reflect on my blessings. I have so much to be thankful for and being a Floridian is one of the big ones.

Best wishes in the coming hours to you, your families, friends, neighbors and businesses. Through sunshine and hurricanes, we are in this together and together is a good place to be.

Read other blogs from Flagship.

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